Held In God's Hands Part 1

The race of the Christian life is possible to be certain that you will finish everlasting in heaven, knowing your destiny makes all the trials of life bearable. The assurance of salvation. That's our focus on today's broadcast stay with us from the Moody Church in Chicago this morning with Dr. Erwin Sir, whose clear teaching helps us make across the finish line in a series on how you can be sure that you will spend eternity with God. Vasculature tell us about today's message you're calling.

No gods, no Dave and then begin today with a rather personal word. My father struggled with the whole issue of the assurance of salvation because he was brought up in the church that taught that you could lose your salvation at any time, any time you send your salvation evaporated, and as a result of that, he was led into depression. What really helped him is when he began to understand that once we believe on Christ. We are really his forever and in answer to your question about being held in God's hands very clearly.

Jesus said that his sheep are in his hands and his hands are in the hands of the father. What a beautiful way to illustrate the fact that we are indeed secure.

That's why believe so deeply in the book I've written, entitled how you can be sure that you will spend eternity with God.

These messages actually are reflected in the book but at the same time we want to thank the many of you who support this ministry and at the end of this broadcast. I'm going to be giving you some information as to how you can become a part of the running to win family but for now let us listen carefully to the sovereignty of God in holding in his hands. Those who are his own.

By grace we are say the Bible says is a word that is used interchangeably with the word version or being born again as we learned last week, but the question I want to ask you today is how many times can you be saved.

Do you ever need to be saved again. There are those who say that they can lose their salvation. Ted Turner was known to many of us and who receive the humanist of the year award a number of years ago said that he was brought up in a Christian home and was saved seven or eight times and felt better when he lost his faith, and when he had it, or how many times can you be saved there some people who say that you can lose your salvation. You can come to saving faith in Christ. You can be sealed with the Holy Spirit of God. And then because of backsliding and rebellion.

You lose your status with God. And if you died, you'd be lost. Some people say that this happens as a matter of fact, that whenever you sin again. Can you imagine that you imagine that we lost our salvation.

Every time we sin you know in churches that believe that I remember a woman who was in our home told us that that she came from a tradition where that was the doctrine and there was a town drunk who got saved every Sunday and then got drunk again every Monday after he got saved one Sunday morning, the pastor said you know the next time you get saved we ought to shoot you now. He did have a point. After all, if you got shot after he was saved deeply in heaven. If he got shot on Monday, he'd be lost. Do him a favor and blown away right after he believes well if that was the gospel. I can assure you it would not be good news at all was riding on a plane one time and demands that I can't stay saved. He told me he said I'm on furlough from living the Christian life. And then there are those who say no you don't lose your salvation after you sin some sense, but if it is willful sin. John Wesley, whom we admire for many other things. I held a view similar to that it has to be a willful sin. It has to be knowingly done. I'm saying to myself, John Wesley must've been more righteous than I am because sometimes I sin willfully knowing what I'm doing and if there's anybody who says that they have never done that you can come up later and you can privately confess the sin of lying to me. Fact is that we all sin. Sometimes deliberately send and then of course there are those who say no, only in the case of extreme apostasy. Now if you were here last Sunday evening. You know, I looked at those passages of Scripture that appeared to teach that one who is saved can lose his or her salvation today. What I'd like to do is to emphasize that the preponderance of evidence in the Bible is that those who are truly saved will stay saved and God will take them all the way to heaven. However, many bumps, there may be along the way and the reason is because the work of God in salvation is so deep involves so much of God's sovereignty and God's purposes that he would not leave to chance nor to even our own wandering the possibility that his eternal plans and purposes would be frustrated.

So today we're going to become builders and what were going to do is to sink 3D pillars right into bedrock and upon those pillars. We shall see that the.of security rests. Romans chapter 8 is our passage Romans chapter 8 all those have been saved more than six weeks to put it positively should be able to quote Romans chapter 8 beginning at verse 26 and through to verse 29. Someday if I live long enough, I'd like to do is to preach an entire series of about 10 messages on these verses today we get the overview this is the scenic route let's take a look at what the apostle Paul is saying. First of all, he saying that our security really rests in the very plan of God in the very plan of God. We have to pick it up here in verse 29 and wanted like you to do is to notice five words that Paul uses to show the work of God in salvation. Don't be afraid of big words because sometimes big words have big meanings and these are five big words with explosive and big meanings. Notice it says for those whom he foreknew that's the first big word you say well to foreknow something means just to know ahead of time know God knows everything ahead of time. This word for knowledge is never used of events is only used in relation to people because the word for knowledge as it is used in the Bible does not mean simply to know ahead of time. It means that God for love these people. For example, Romans chapter 8 verse 211 verse two rather God have not forsaken his people whom he foreknew he four knows everybody. If you're just talking about omniscience what it means is God has not forsaken those whom he has chosen those whom he has for love, you realize that if you're saved today. You were foreknown in your included in this text. The second big word that is used is the word predestined, which means pre-determined it says for those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of the sun that Christ might be the firstborn among many brethren that were predestinate means to mark out ahead of time.

It was sometimes used of surveyors who would who would come to a location before anybody showed up and they determined that a street would go herein and Avenue would go the other way and they determined all of that before the inhabitants began to move in the town. God says that those whom I foreknew are the ones also, whom I have predestined and marked out ahead of time that they will be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ that Christ might be the firstborn, but that he might have many brother.

That's what the text is saying is before we were born was pre-determined that we would be like Christ. Now notice the third big word is the word cold. Now think this through. Here we have the first two words in eternity past, God foreknew and gone. The predestined that we would be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

The word cold speaks about our present experience. It is the effectual call leads people to saving faith Nicole Chapin who used to be a Buddhist whose testimony we just heard here.

You notice that the first words out of her mouth where the Holy Spirit drew me to Christ Nicole I don't know who discipled you, but they had some really good theology really good theology that is the effectual call and now notice what happens after we are called what happens these emails. He also justified. That's the other word.

And may I say that if you have not been here consistently for the messages in this series, I would like to encourage you to get the message on justification in the message on grace and the others that fit into this series justified means that God declares us to be as righteous as he himself is and I pointed out that unless you are as righteous as God. You will never get to heaven never and it is only because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ which is the righteousness of God. But God accepts us. So after we are cold we are justified and then the text says, whom he justified the very same number are the ones whom he glorified. Someday were all going to have glorified bodies were gonna look a lot better than we look now, we all had to do the best we can with what we have been with varying degrees. We succeed, but someday were going to be glorified. What does the text say that we might be like Christ, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren and I want you to notice that the word glorified here is in the past tense goddesses, considerate, done deal, whether that's good English were not considerate done deal.

You are glorified to follow this. Here are five beautiful links in a golden chain. The first link begins in eternity past of those whom he foreknew end of those whom he predestined, and then you have the word cold, which has to do with our present experience and now we have been justified and in God's sight. We have been glorified. It goes from one spectrum of eternity to the other and follow carefully the very same ones whom he foreknew are the ones whom he glorified I don't believe that there is any slippage. I don't believe that anyone is falling through the cracks. I don't think that God's purposes are frustrated because of our sins.

And may I say it though. I'm going to receive letters about it even because of our backsliding's grievous though that may be to God. God's purposes will be fulfilled, and he will take of those whom he foreknew all the way to glory goddesses.

You are already there. What is the first pillar upon which our security rests. It is the plan of God. I hope that during this series of messages on salvation you become absolutely convinced to the depths of your soul, spirit that salvation not only represents God at his best, but that salvation is a mighty work of a great and wonderful God. It rests on the plan of God.

Secondly notice that salvation rests on the pardon of God. That is the second pillar that goes down to bedrock.

He says in verse 31, which is somewhat of a transitional verse, what shall we say then to these things. If God is for us all, who is against us. Do we have any takers.

Is there anybody was going to come against those whom God has decided to align himself up with what a challenge and of course the answer is that if God is for us, who is against us, what shall we say to these things.

Well, all that we can do is comment on them with breathless wonder that's about all we can say if God is for us, who is against us. And he says in verse 32 he who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, will he not also with him freely give us all if God is given to us the best that he has will not all of the secondary blessings simply be thrown in for good measure.

If someone gives you a beautiful diamond will they not also give you the box in which it came, or will they say I give you the diamond but you can't have the box to unthinkable. They go together and the diamond is more valuable than the box. If a woman is willing to give up her precious son in adoption, will she not also give the new parents the creative in which he has slapped God spared not his own son is precious son, whom he so greatly love will he not also with him give us all thing, the answer is yes, but now were talking about the pardon of God, and Paul visualizes a court room and I want you to visualize it with me. There is of course the judge who is God, there is the defendant, the one who is being accused any sitting over here no intention to point deliberately at you Chris but he sitting over here and then over here there is the accuser prosecuting attorney gavel sounds and the court room is open for debate. The devil takes out his briefcase because it is filled with the sins that we have committed and he reminds us that he does not only have a briefcase, but immediately outside the door.

There is a you all trailer feel with all kinds of material that will prove us to be sinners and so the debate begin and his accusations are not generally does not signout this person here is a is a great center that would never do. He get very specific because you see the devil knows all the hidden sins that you and I if they were exposed, would be overcome with shame the devil knows those things and and furthermore God knows them.

God knows them.

So the accusations begin and they are very specific and they are very detailed and they are very shameful and they are very very ugly. Can the defendant do what does he do well.

Notice the text who will bring a charge against God's elect people don't like that word but Paul evidently did just don't know why he had this love with that word.

God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns Christ as the one who died a rather who was raised was at the right hand of God the father and he intercedes for us. How shall we, as the accused handle these accusations, shall we say no, they are true. That of course is not even an option in this court. It may be in a Chicago court room that may work for some aldermen it may work for some members of Congress, but it doesn't work in the presence of God. The issue here is not truth. The issue is justice when we can begin to minimize our sins and say got if you only understood don't you realize I'm better than other people. Don't you realize.

I did try to serve.

You don't remember. I walked forward in a meeting God, but I did pray once, don't you remember during the war, Lord, what will I do know Satan has marched in and he's winning the court case if the defendant is wise he will do the only thing that is wise to do that is to pump the bowl to the defending attorney and say Jesus I can't handle this. You handle it for me, who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect is God that justified who is he that condemns it is Christ that died gay, rather, that is risen again and is even at the right hand of God the father reminding God the father that salvation was purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son cleanses us from all sin and that Jesus died for some messy and very ugly sin and God the father accepted the payment justice has been satisfied, and the defendant is acquitted, and he can go free five bleeding wounds. He bears received on Calvary.

They pour effectual prayers. They strongly leave forgive him all forgive a crime and let not that rents in the center die. This past week a man called me on the telephone. Asked my advice regarding counseling. A woman who had an affair Christian woman now suddenly in the slough of despond despair and depression. Not all depression is because of sin and guilt but a lot is how do we as Christians handle it. I do not merely mean handle the outworking of reconciliation with her husband that is going to be very painful under any conditions.

I'm talking about. How do we handle it theologically so that this woman can look into God's face again and be cleansed and be redeemed is the on one level is a Christian. She is as pure as Christ closed in his righteousness, even though center she needs to see that she does not see that she will be driven into despair. On another level. She must also see that inexperience she has sanded grievously and she must ask forgiveness not might again receive the holiness of God which he now has as a free gift already, but that she might be reconciled to the father, whom she has wounded so deeply through her sins. You see, there is the object of there's also the subject of cleansing and the cleansing has to do with the purging of the conscience so that she not only is pure before God, but that she knows she is my friend, this is Pastor Luther and obviously this woman needs a great deal of counseling because the question that she will face is what does she do next.

How is she reconciled not just to God but to others, so I don't want to give a superficial answer to the question that you have just heard, but at the same time we need to rejoice in the fact that God's children are. She is for ever, is the doctrine of assurance. Let me ask you a question. Would you like to be able to help us get the gospel through the ministry of running to win two more people around the world. Well you can do that by becoming a running to win partner and endurance partner. We like to call them that somebody who gives regularly to this ministry supports this with prayers and with gifts.

Now of course you need more info. So here's what you can do. Go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com know when you're there, click on the endurance partner button or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 did you know that you become a part of this ministry, as you support us all of the testimonies that we receive of God's blessing are your testimonies as well. Together we are making a difference right now you can go to RTW offer.com quick on the endurance partner button or you can pick up the phone right now and call 1-888-218-9337 ask about becoming an endurance partner you can write to us at running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago 60614 when Babe Ruth pointed to center field. He knew that all was going, and Christians can know where they're going after that. That's because our assurance of salvation is built on three dollars in the Scriptures.

Next time I'm running to win more about those pillars running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life.

Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin looked certain this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody church